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Neck Pain services offered in Oxon Hill, Clinton and Takoma Park, MD
If you suffer from severe, persistent neck pain, visit board-certified physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist George Drakes, MD, and his team at Metro Spine PC. The practice has offices in Clinton, Takoma Park, and Oxon Hill, Maryland, offering expert diagnosis and advanced treatment for neck pain problems like spinal stenosis, herniated discs, and arthritis. Call your nearest Metro Spine PC office today or schedule a consultation online for prompt, effective neck pain treatment.
Why do I have neck pain?
Neck pain is a common problem with many causes. Neck pain categories include:
Acute injuries
Acute injuries happen while playing sports, in auto accidents, and in falls. The muscles, ligaments, and tendons can stretch or tear under excessive force. The discs between the cervical vertebrae (neck bones) can rupture. Or the bones might become misaligned. Whiplash suffered during a car accident is a common cause of acute neck pain.
Repetitive strain or overuse injuries
Making the same motions repeatedly for a long time puts the tissues involved under too much strain. They can develop tiny injuries that become inflamed, causing tendinitis (tendon inflammation).
Chronic disease
Degenerative disc disease causes age-related deterioration. The discs dry out, flatten, and weaken, making them more prone to injury. This can lead to disc herniation (where the disc’s soft center protrudes into the spinal canal) and spinal stenosis (spinal canal narrowing). Arthritis (joint inflammation) can affect the facet joints linking the vertebrae.
Spinal abnormalities
Some people are born with scoliosis, where the spine curves to the left and/or right. Spine curvature abnormalities can also develop in later life.
Poor posture and sleeping with your head at an angle also contribute to neck pain.
How is neck pain treated?
Your personalized neck pain treatment plan will likely include physical therapy and other noninvasive approaches. Medication can relieve inflammation and pain, and you should avoid activities that trigger or worsen your condition.
If your neck pain doesn’t improve, the Metro Spine PC team offers other cutting-edge treatments.
What advanced treatments ease neck pain?
Advanced neck pain treatments include epidural and facet joint injections into the spine. The injections contain steroid medication, a long-acting, powerful anti-inflammatory, and can include a local anesthetic. Medial branch and other nerve blocks also contain a local anesthetic to numb neck pain.
Alternative approaches include prolotherapy and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections. These stimulate healthy new tissue growth to combat neck pain. If these treatments don’t work, another choice is radiofrequency ablation. This minimally invasive procedure deadens the pain nerves in your neck.
If all else fails, neuromodulation could be the answer. An implantable spinal cord stimulation unit transmits electrical energy along wires into your spine. This alters the signals from your nerves to your brain, reducing the pain or changing it to a pleasant tingling.